To travel you do not have to wait for the time you go on vacation. Even on a workweek, there is a time for a trip. To diversify your weekends and to get new impressions and emotions you can make a fantastic trip embracing our programme "short breaks".

Take your friends or family, choose up to three cities you want to visit and make a fabulous journey. In this weekend tour, you can stay for a one or two nights in the places you have chosen. You can be on excursions exploring and admiring the cities during the whole day and enjoy breathtaking views of the places recollecting bright moments of your trip at night. From dawn till night you will be able to see how the cities and everything around you change. Morning day will present the architecture and the landscape in sunlight glory while night will show transformed buildings and streets sinking in illumination.

What is the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to souvenirs from Russia? Of course, it is matryoshka, balalaika, vodka and caviar. Oh, and a hat with ear flaps as well! However, the ear flap hat is now in vogue, and has ceased to be such a rarity, vodka can be bought almost anywhere in the world.

Numerous souvenir shops are vying to sell magnets, mugs and T-shirts with slogans and thematic images (flag and coat of arms of Russia, funny sayings, bears, portraits of politicians and well-known writers), sailor's striped vests, as well as handicrafts. Khokhloma, Gzhel, enamel, birch amulets and Vologda lacework… the assortment is huge! But when you make purchases, don’t lower your guard.
Some unscrupulous sellers may try to sell you cheaper and substandard imitations. Of course, most of the shops have certificates for their goods and buy them directly from factories and workshops.
To help you not to get lost in all this colorful variety and tell how and where it is better to buy particular products, we have prepared separate articles for you on Russian folk crafts.

It makes sense to look for more valuable and rare souvenirs in antique shops.
Old coins, porcelain figurines of the Soviet era, icons, clocks, badges, decorations - one does not know where to look first!
But even here there are potential pitfalls. Apart from the fact that the seller may seriously inflate the price of what you want to buy, arguing that it is older or more valuable than it really is, there may be problems taking it out of the country.

As of today, it is prohibited to take any items of cultural value (books, figurines, icons, pictures, etc.), created prior to January 1, 1964 out of the country.

Important note: items of cultural value do not include cultural goods of serial and mass production, or modern souvenirs.

However, sometimes even an item of mass production manufactured over fifty years ago may attract the close attention of the customs service. If you want to protect yourself from unforeseen delays and undesired proceedings (the item is likely to stay with you, which, alas, cannot be said of your nerve cells), you can send the purchase to your own address by mail, after packing it carefully to avoid damage. Make sure that the package has a warning sign if the item is fragile.

Are you a little confused with all this information? Our team members are always ready to help you navigate all the rules, addresses, products and prices!

You will definitely find something to your liking and within your budget with all the variety of great Russian souvenirs!

12:00 - Pereyaslavl-Zalesskiy - The home town of Alexander Nevskiy and the birthplace of the Russian navy. An excursion around the town, a stop for photos on the Red Square, Plescheevo ozero, Botik of Peter I.

Departure to Rostov Velikiy.

13:00 - Lunch

14:30 - An excursion to the Rostov’s Kremlin - the residence of Rostov’s bishops and archbishops (architecture of the Rostov’s Kremlin from the exterior).

The architectural ensemble of the Rostov’s Kremlin, the jewel of which is the Uspenskiy Temple (XVI cent.), with its unique bell tower, where a set of 15 bells is fully preserved; the Bishop’s Yard, the Temple square and the Metropolitan’s Garden. An exhibition of ceramics in the Kremlin.

An exposition: “Walls and passages of the Rostov’s Kremlin” (small passages).

You will see the delta of the Volga and Kotorsl, the Uspenskiy Cathedral Temple, stroll along the Volzhskaya promenade, renovated for the 1000th [JM1] anniversary of the city, and observe the unique architectural ensemble in the central part of Yaroslavl, which is included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

A visit to the Spaso-Preobrazhenskiy monastery - the main city attraction. Due to its fortified walls it is called a Kremlin. The main temple of the monastery still holds its original paintings; this is the oldest temple in Yaroslavl, which has been preserved until today. Here “Slovo o Polku Igoreve”, the handwritten list of the masterpiece of ancient Russian literature, was found.

See the Ilya the Prophet’s Church (interior - in summer, exterior - in winter) - an outstanding monument of Yaroslavl architecture.

Departure to Kostroma.

14:00 - Lunch at the hotel restaurant.

15:00 - A city tour around Kostroma.

Introduction to the merchant town that has preserved the original appearance of its architectural ensemble from the 18th century until the present.

See the central square (“frying-pan”), trade rows, firefighter’s watchtower from the 19th century.

Ipatievskiy monastery (the Temple of Troitsa, the tomb or chamber of Romanovs) - the main symbol of Kostroma, the birthplace of the Romanov dynasty.

A visit to theBogoyavlensko-Anastasiinyi monastery, where the miraculous icon of Fedorovskaya Virgin (13th century) is kept.

Departure to the hotel.

19:00 - Dinner at the hotel restaurant.

3rd day

07:00 - Breakfast at the hotel restaurant.

Departure to Suzdal.

A city tour in Ivanovo.

11:00 - A city tour around Suzdal - a town-museum with roughly 200 historical monuments, many of which have UNESCO world heritage status.

A visit to the city’s attractions:

The Kremlin with its Krestovaya Chamber - the ceremonial hall of the bishop’s parish, where the Tsar’s edicts were declared and pleas were listened to.

Spaso-Ephimievskiy monastery with a concert of the bells.

A wooden architecture meuseum with unique buildings from the 17-19th centuries.